Only Time Will Tell
by Alan Wolfsheim
Summary: When Shikamaru's past finds his present, what will his reaction be? ShikaXOC, ShikaXTam, and KibaXOC. Yaoi, discovery, seduction, and more!
1. Chapter 1 Love and Betrayal

Disclaimer: So, yeah, Naruto is cool and all, but most of the characters in this story aren't mine. Only my team, consisting of Masa, Kura, and Hotaru are my own characters, and technically only Masa is mine personally. Kura and Hotaru are my bestest friends, which is why we make a good trio of ninja. So okay, this is the first chapter, which is mostly background story.

WARNING!!: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS Shounen-ai including light, and I mean light, experimenting. If you don't like the idea of two young boys kissing, then you shouldn't even be here. The M rating is for later chapters because of the violence and language that occurs as a result of this being a universe filled with ninja. If allowed, there will also be yaoi, lemon (if someone would tell me what that is!), and… well, that's all I can put of it here.

Note: This is an OCxShika, ShikaxTamari, and OCHotaruxKiba fic, so the last chapters I probably won't be able to post here. And I go into detail too, so really, if you're not supposed to read it or romance and sex aren't your things, then GO! Sheesh, it's not my fault if you get caught reading this when you aren't supposed to.

---

Setting: Just outside of Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Shikamaru sighed, staring up at the clouds. He didn't see any point in going back to class, though he knew recess was over and his teacher would be furious with him for not returning. He shifted slightly, smiling as the clouds shifted and moved with the wind, the only interesting thing in a world of boredom. He knew he was smarter then the rest of his class, and he already knew what the teacher would want him to learn, so he lay under his favorite tree, doing his favorite pass time.

He was not, however, expecting a visit from his friend Masa just then, and when the young ninja poked his head to see if he was awake, he jumped up with a surprised yelp. Seeing it was Masa, he just sighed and lay back down. Masa frowned at Shikamaru, placing his 8 year old hands on his hips in a mocking style of the way his parents acted with him.

"Nara-kuuuun!" He whined out, stomping one foot impatiently, "Are you skipping class again? You know what happened last time! What's with you anyway? You skip more class then most of the other older students." Masa sat down next to him, staring at him impatiently, waiting for an answer. Shikamaru just sighed, staring at the clouds.

"Explaining things to you would be such a pain..." Saying this only served to infuriate Masa, who promptly lay down next to him and stared angrily at the clouds. He looked over at the 7 year old Shikamaru and sighed, feeling something strange clench up inside him, and it wasn't his normal kind of clenching like when he had to use the bathroom. This one was higher up, and as he grabbed for it he realized that he was grabbing his red shirt right where his heart was. Blushing, he turned away, feeling embarrassed, while Shikamaru took no notice, completely absorbed in cloud watching. He began to breathe hard, the feeling in his chest worsening as he turned away from Shikamaru, and he knew that whatever it was had to do with him. A sudden, crazy idea popped into his head, and he knew what the feeling was telling him.

"Sh-Shi-Shikamaru?" Masa asked timidly, turning slightly back to his friend. Shikamaru turned to his friend, slightly alarmed at being called by his name. The last time he had been called Shikamaru by Masa, Masa had been sick and had thrown up everywhere. Seeing his friend clutching his chest, he grew even more worried, immediately fearing the worst.

"What is it, what's wrong Masa?" Shikamaru leaned over his friend, who was red in the face. He checked for wounds, needle marks, or any sign of outer injury. This only seemed to make Masa worse, who really was somewhat enjoying the attention.

"Can... can I," Masa said shakily. Shikamaru ignored him, still searching his friend until he was stopped, his hands grabbed fiercely by Masa's. Masa swallowed in nervousness, as did Shikamaru. "Can I... kiss you, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru blinked in astonishment, then started to laugh. He soon stopped, realizing that he had somehow hurt Masa's feelings. Then he knew, Masa was serious.

"Well... I... I don't know... I mean, I didn't think guys were supposed to kiss." Shikamaru tried to pulls his hands away, but Masa wouldn't let go, even though his own were shaking. "I've never kissed another boy before. I mean, it seems kinda strange, don't you think?"

"Well, I guess so, but... I don't even know why I want to. I just... do. Please, pretty please, can I kiss you?" Masa's eyes pleaded with him, growing large and watery. Shikamaru blushed and looked away. He hated it when Masa gave him that face, it was so pathetic that it pulled the little bit of sympathy he had for others out of him.

"Fine..." he muttered, looking away to hide a slight blush that was creeping into his face. Masa's face lit up, a wide, happy smile spreading across his face before he leaned forward, blushing and puckering his lips a little. Shikamaru closed his eyes, not believing what he had just agreed to. Changing his mind, he turned back toward Masa, intent on telling him no when their lips met for the first time.

Shikamaru's eyes popped open, surprise causing him to take a sharp intake of breath through his nose. Masa's eyes remained closed, a warm feeling spreading through his body. Without knowing why, one of his hands slipped over Shikamaru's body, drawing him closer. Shikamaru pushed against him, his eyes wide with shock and fright, but the feeling of the kiss made his push weak as the same warm feeling spread through him as well. The two boys pressed close as the awkward kiss continued. Finally it stopped, leaving them breathless.

"That was... good." Masa blushed as he said it, looking shyly as the still stunned Shikamaru. Standing, he waited awkwardly for him to say something, but he remained silent. Slowly Shikamaru raised one hand and touched his lips, shaking. He knew what he had just done was something that most people would despise, most would even call it disgusting, and he had just done it with probably the only other kid who he could consider his friend.

"I... I have to go." Shikamaru said as he stood, not looking at Masa. Masa gasped slightly, feeling hurt as the other boy turned and began to run. He took a few steps forward and stopped, knowing he shouldn't pester him. Shikamaru never liked it when he bothered him about things, and besides, he knew he would see him the next day anyway, they went to the same school.

Smiling, Masa turned back to the school, knowing he would be late, but glad he had shared that moment with Shikamaru.

---

"What?! What are you talking about?!" Masa cried, panicked as his parents sat around the dinner table.

"Your father got a promotion but we have to move out of Konoha, which means that you're going to have to go to a different school." His mother looked at him, forcing a smile, "I'm sorry honey, but I'm sure you're going to make new frie-"

"NO!" Masa screamed, startling both of his parents. The young boy turned and picked up his backpack, throwing open the door and running outside before his parents could stop him. "I'm not leaving! EVER!"

Masa leaped from building to building, heading for the forest that was his roundabout way of getting to Shikamaru's house. He didn't want to go, but he knew that what he had said was pointless. He couldn't live on his own, and Shikamaru had been so scared about them kissing, he probably wouldn't want him in his house. Masa still wanted to see him one last time, so he decided to set up a meeting with him before he left.

---

Shikamaru woke with a start, hearing a small thud next to his bed. Looking over, he saw a kunai stuck into the floor. A small note was attached to it, and read;

Dearest Shikamaru,

I have to leave soon. I want to see you one last time before I do. Meet me by your favorite tree before school. Please come.

There was no name, but Shikamaru figured out who it was fairly easily. The images of earlier that day surfaced again, the look in Masa's golden eyes when he asked to kiss him, his joyous expression afterward, the fear in those eyes as he had run away. Shikamaru felt his chest tighten again, his mixed feelings for his friend making his head pound and his vision swirl. He decided he would try and sleep, then go to his friend tomorrow and discuss what this was becoming, and what he wanted it to be.

--- The Next Day

Masa waited, his yellow eyes scanning the dimming horizon. He had delivered his message to Shikamaru during the previous night, and had watched as his friend read the message before going back to bed. He knew Shikamaru wanted to see him, after all, he would never leave something like that just hanging there, and he wouldn't leave him by the tree.

Would he?

---

"What do you mean I can't go?" Shikamaru shouted, pulling at the arm of the adult holding his own. Iruka kept his grip though, despite the grim struggling of the young boy.

"I'm sorry Shikamaru, but I can't. You've missed enough class as it is, and I can't just let you miss more. It's my responsibility as your teacher to keep you here and teach you about being a ninja." Iruka sighed as the boy continued to struggle against his grip. The young boy had said that he had somewhere important to be, and it baffled the teacher as to what he thought was more important then learning the art of being a ninja. He gently pulled Shikamaru close to him as the boy began to cry, embracing him as a mentor in order to comfort him. Shikamaru, wailing and sobbing, clung to his sensei's vest.

"But… I… he wants to see me and…" Shikamaru started through his sobbing in an effort to explain his situation to his teacher. He wouldn't have acted this way, and he didn't know why he was now, but he wanted his sensei to know why he had to leave.

Iruka pulled the boy away, looking into his eyes with concern. "Who wants to see you Shikamaru? Lord Hokage?"

"No! It's… it's Masamune, it's his last day here and he wants to see me before he goes!" Shikamaru wasn't crying anymore, but now he was screaming, his fear of missing his friend before he left driving him to be angry at his teacher for holding him back.

Iruka was stricken. Masamune's true reason for leaving was supposed to be a secret, his distant family having been found with traitorous intents toward the Hokage, and so he and his family had been forced to leave. If he told Shikamaru why he left, the boy might be convinced to turn against the Hokage as well. But Iruka understood that Shikamaru and Masamune's friendship was something special to both of them. Both were amazingly intelligent, and while it caused Shikamaru to be lazy, it caused Masa to be distractible and hyperactive. The two were opposites, but because they were so much brighter then the other students, had found friendship through their intelligence.

"Oh… Shikamaru, I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do." Iruka said, trying to comfort the screaming child, but it only served to enrage him.

"Then let me go! I have to go see him!" Shikamaru yelled again, pulling against his sensei's grip again. Iruka sighed, knowing he wasn't supposed to do what he was about to, but it was the only way he could keep the boy from hurting himself. He gently tapped the boys head with a finger, sending a small bit of chakra through his finger. The boys eyes widened, then his lids closed and he fell forward. Iruka caught the now unconscious boy, shaking his head with regret. He knew that it would be hard for Shikamaru, now that there wasn't anyone left who he wanted to be friends with. He carried the boy back to class and sat him as his seat, setting him into a comfortable position until he came to.

As Iruka taught his class, the sleeping Shikamaru was dreaming of his friend. In his dreams, he ran after Masa, his friend just standing there waiting for him. But as he ran, his dreams turned to nightmares as his friend seemed to slip away, getting farther as he ran to get closer. He tried yelling to him, but his voice wouldn't work. His dream slowly ended with him alone, crying softly after Masa's image had faded completely. There had been so many things he had wanted to say, but he couldn't now. Masa was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it.

---

So, what do you think? Critiques? Comments? Compliments? I'd love any and all of those, so LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!! Okay?

I'm working on more chapters, so don't worry. You'll get more of this soon. And I hope my later chapters will be better.


	2. Chapter 2 Watching

Disclaimer: So, yeah, Naruto is cool and all, but most of the characters in this story aren't mine. Only my team, consisting of Masa, Kura, and Hotaru are my own characters, and technically only Masa is mine personally. Kura and Hotaru are my bestest friends, which is why we make a good trio of ninja. So okay, this is the first chapter, which is mostly background story.

WARNING!!: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS: STALKING! If you don't like the idea of Someone following someone around in an obsessive manner, then leave now or forever be disappointed. The M rating is for later chapters because of the violence and language that occurs as a result of this being a universe filled with ninja. If allowed, there will also be yaoi, lemon, and… well, that's all I can put of it here.

Note: This is an OCxShika, ShikaxTamari, and OCHotaruxKiba fic, so the last chapters I probably won't be able to post here. And I go into detail too, so really, if you're not supposed to read it or romance and sex aren't your things, then GO! Sheesh, it's not my fault if you get caught reading this when you aren't supposed to.

---

Shikamaru Nara stared out of the window across the room from his seat. He was bored yet again in class, not really caring to learn what his sensei had to teach. At only 11 years he could out strategize just about everyone in his class. Even without paying attention, passing written tests were no problem for him if he bothered to do them.

He sighed, watching the trees move in the wind. Without caring he let his mind wander, and found himself thinking about someone he hadn't though about in a long time: Masamune Kuronai, his lost friend. After Masa had left, all enthusiasm for school had left him, and he had hardly anyone he could call a friend. His various teachers had tried to keep him interested, but it didn't matter.

He found his thoughts suddenly of that last day, the last time he had seen Masa. They had kissed, and he shook his head as the memory of that moment came back. He didn't want to remember that, and hated when he did. It always brought an awkward feeling with it, like he was hiding some terrible secret that he could tell no one, and the one person he could have talked it out with was gone. Staring out the window again, he got a strange feeling, his thought returning to Masa. He didn't understand what it was, but it was as if part of him told him different, that Masa was not gone forever. Then he laughed, loudly and unexpectedly in the middle of lecture. The teacher glared at him, and he immediately went quiet.

What was he thinking? He had learned the truth about the Kuronais from his drunken father. His relatives had been found with treasonous intent toward not only their lord, but to lord Hokage as well. He knew Masa wasn't personally involved, but his entire family had been banished for it, and there was no way his former friend could ever return.

Except that, despite Shikamaru's knowledge, he already had.

---

Masamune watched the young ninja-to-be, not yet even Genin, with a smirking satisfaction. Despite his friend's intelligence, he had not yet surpassed the other students as Masa had. Masa had graduated earlier that year from another smaller ninja village school. He was now a part of the Village Hidden in the Stars, and he and his team were here to participate in the Chunin exams. His identity was no secret, but he had been allowed to participate in the exams because those in his family who were traitors had died of "mysterious causes". In truth, each death had been caused by Masamune and his team, which consisted of his new friends Kura and Hotaru. His friends were unique, as was he, since this year they were the second team from their village to participate in the exams. Because of the village's size, teams from the village were scarce and not normally able to be spared for graduation exams. This year, despite their Kage's expressed disapproval, both teams were participating in the exams.

Masa watched Shikamaru from the same tree the boy just so happened to be staring at. His teammates were behind him, Kura's expression its normal darkness, Hotaru's one of impatience. They didn't really care about their friend's obsession with the young ninja, only that it was the day of the Third Exam, and they did not want to be late.

"Come on already Masa, we don't have any time to stare at your ridiculous crush or whatever it is. We can not be late or sensei will have our hides." Hotaru glared at her teammate as if by doing so she could force him to move. She heard him sigh, then saw him turn, his golden yellow eyes reflecting something she had never seen in them; a kind of desperation that bordered on depression. She immediately felt a little sorry for him. Just a little.

Kura stared at Masa with his dark eyes, completely expressionless. Masa, looking into those eyes, got the message and nodded. The three Genin jumped off for the exams, where they had already destroyed much of the competition. All three had passed the first and second tests, whether by skill or simply killing the other ninja.

--- At the exams ---

Masamune stood completely still, staring at his exhausted opponent. His teammates had already won their matches, and his was the last of the first round. His teammate's opponents would be lucky if they left the hospitals alive, but that was not his concern now. His own opponent was still standing, though barely.

The battered and exhausted looked at Masa, confused. He had thrown everything he had at this ninja; clones, weapons, special jutsu's, but nothing could touch him. Masa hadn't even used one offensive technique but had inflicted so much damage to his opponent that the ninja's vision was beginning to shift and blur. Masa smirked, knowing his opponent wouldn't last much longer. For him, the fight had been nothing. He knew the kind of tricks to expect from his opponent, and so was able to repel each and every attack against him, hardly getting touched at all.

His opponent growled, furious at being so humiliated. He pulled on his last chakra reserves, performing a clone jutsu. The clones surrounded Masa, who continued to just stand there, smiling. The clones pulled out kunai and charged a reckless head on attack that, if successful, might give the desperate ninja victory. But it was to no avail.

Masa, knowing he was getting attacked on all sides, didn't bother to try and outmaneuver the clones like he had before. Instead he made ten hand signs, using his personal favorite jutsu, the Burning Fists jutsu. His chakra turned to fire, burning out from the chakra points on his arms and feet. Jumping into the air, he kicked in the direction of each and every clone.

"The Rising of Nine Suns!" Masa called his taijutsu, each kick and punch sending a burst of chakra fire into the clones, destroying them. Then, landing, he continued the sequence of practiced maneuvers, attacking his opponent fiercely with the fire blasts. His opponent desperately tried to dodge the onslaught, but had no more energy and fell to the ground. Instead of finishing his opponent off, Masa just stood, letting his exhausted opponent drift into an unfortunate and exhausted sleep, despite his will to win. Masa knew he had won, and that most certainly he and his team were now Chunin after their individual displays of skill.

Masa looked up into the crowd, knowing that the school was taking a break because of the exams. He hoped Shikamaru had seen him, had recognized him, and most of all, had not forgotten him, as he had not forgotten Shikamaru.

"I'll find you soon, my love." Masa said to himself, looking to the now cheering crowd. He smiled; being so close to his desires making him happier then being a ninja could ever make him.

---

Okay, this one wasn't as long as the other, but that's a good thing, right? I mean, really, that last one was a doozie to write. Okay, R&R please. I'm going to get working on Ch3 a.s.a.p., though I won't ruin it for you by giving you spoilers. XP yeah, I'm mean.


	3. Chapter 3 You've Been What?

Disclaimer: So, yeah, Naruto is cool and all, but most of the characters in this story aren't mine. Only my team, consisting of Masa, Kura, and Hotaru are my own characters, and technically only Masa is mine personally. Kura and Hotaru are my bestest friends, which is why we make a good trio of ninja. So okay, this is the first chapter, which is mostly background story.

WARNING!!: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS: SURPRISES! If you don't like the idea of startling the almost literal crap out of someone even though they are a ninja, then leave now or forever be disappointed. The M rating is for later chapters because of the violence and language that occurs as a result of this being a universe filled with ninja. If allowed, there will also be yaoi, lemon, and… well, that's all I can put of it here.

Note: This is an OCxShika, ShikaxTamari, and OCHotaruxKiba fic, so the last chapters I probably won't be able to post here. And I go into detail too, so really, if you're not supposed to read it or romance and sex aren't your things, then GO! Sheesh, it's not my fault if you get caught reading this when you aren't supposed to.

---

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head. There was no way that Hokage Naruto could have been serious. There was no reason that he, Shikamaru Nara, should have to trek out to this obviously empty forest to try and find what the Sixth Hokage called, "A lost ninja village."

"If it's so lost, how come he's sending me to find it? And I thought that if a place got lost then that meant everyone in it died. I mean, I guess I should be honored that he wants me to find this Village of the Sky, but seriously, if he's expecting me to stick around and restart it, he's got another thing coming." The ninja, a chunin by rank but still not much past 16 years of age, walked along the narrow, overgrown path as he grumbled to himself.

He stopped suddenly, sighing. He knew someone had been following him for a while, they hadn't exactly been too good at hiding it. Things like this happened often, since the younger untested ninja enjoyed following him around, knowing that he would be too lazy to do anything about it.

But this was different. It wasn't that he felt the person was being malicious, just that the obviousness of the following was too planned, too thought out. It began to worry him. If there were more ninja from other villages trying to get to this "lost village" first, then he might have an even harder time filling out Hokage Naruto's orders. He sighed, hating confrontation but knowing that in this situation, it was inevitable.

"Alright, I know you're following me, you've made that clear enough. Why don't you just come on out, so we can get this over with?" Shikamaru smiled as he called out his silent stalker. The instant the person showed themselves, he would trap them with his shadow possession jutsu until he had all the information he needed. He was expecting a fight, but what he wasn't expecting was the young man to step out on the road before him so blatantly. Shikamaru's jaw dropped at the nerve of the person, until he saw the ninja headband resting slightly off to the side on his forehead. The symbol was not one of the major Nin villages he recognized, which worried him somewhat.

"Who are you, and where are you from?" Shikamaru asked, through with playing games, He made the jutsu hand signs quickly, easily stretching his shadow to catch the shadow of the man standing in front of him. Just a little more, he thought, then he's mine!

The beginning of his period of utter astonishment came when the other ninja just laughed. Shikamaru began to panic slightly, worried at the fact that the other ninja's eyes were locked directly on his stretching shadow. He's caught me, thought the leaf ninja, crap, might as well just go for it anyway…

The second part came when his shadow finally reached the other ninja, and stopped. It just… stopped, as if it couldn't go any further. Shikamaru's eyes grew wide as he saw why his jutsu had failed, and he backed away slowly.

The ninja had no shadow!

"Well well, you come into our home, and then demand things from us like you're the biggest baddest ninja ever? How could you, it's so rude. Didn't your Lord Hokage teach you any better, or is that whelp of a child dead already?" The ninja just stood there and smirked, looking and acting like he was in complete control of the situation, and Shikamaru couldn't deny that it looked that way to him too. As the other ninja began to walk to him, his first instinct was to get away, to jump into the trees and tell Naruto how the mission had failed, but for some reason he just couldn't. His legs wouldn't move, almost as if he was too scared to get his feet working.

But I'm not scared, am I? Shikamaru began to think quickly, putting his full genius to use, but still couldn't figure out why he couldn't move. Was it fascination? Maybe the idea that this might be a ninja from the lost village he was searching for? What was it keeping him rooted in place?

The other ninja began to get too close, and Shikamaru finally managed to take a few steps back as the other continued forward, breaking his personal space boundaries by a mile. Then the strange ninja leaned forward and bit his ear, sending a jolt of fear through him. This was not what he expected, nor wanted in the slightest from some stranger. He punched, and felt his hand hit what seemed like a rock wall. Shit! The leaf village ninja thought, what the hell is this guy made of? WHO the hell is he anyway?!

Then the bite stopped, and a voice and a name he hadn't heard in almost a decade whispered softly in his ear. It was deeper then he remembered, but it was the same voice that had belonged to the best friend he had ever had.

"What's wrong, Nara-kun? It's been almost a decade, and I'm hurt that you've forgotten me so quickly…" Shikamaru began to shake, the intimacy of the moment putting him at wits end. He finally got up the strength to jump away, gaining breathing room and his personal space back. But the other Nin was quick to follow, keeping a short distance away in an opposing tree.

"M-Masa?! What the hell! Who are you?!" Shikamaru didn't realize he was yelling, but he was definitely out of breath all of a sudden. The other ninja, dressed oddly in black pants, a red shirt, and a grey vest of the same kind Shikamaru wore, designating him as a chunin, just smiled at him.

"Wow, you really hit the nail on the head with that one, Nara-kun. What next, are you telling me that Hokage Naruto is interested in our little village here? I'm touched, as I'm sure we all are. I'm glad he sent you, any other emissary would have been killed on sight." The news of this struck Shikamaru as more then a bit startling. He could understand wanting to protect a village's secrets, but to kill anyone trespassing on sight?

"That's why I'm here, yeah. So how come you haven't killed me yet?" Shikamaru knew he had to bluff, to find out how well he could take on his former teammate. He had grown, they both had, but he could still feel his hand throb from the punch he had connected earlier. Shikamaru winced, seeing that where his intelligence had turned him out to be a slacker, his former friend had become a chiseled tool of the ninja, a skilled warrior beyond what the leaf ninja felt he could handle alone.

Masa smiled. He hadn't planned to have Shikamaru so scared, but it served him just as well.

"Because I said so. I wouldn't let them hurt you, since if anyone will hurt you, it will be me." The threat in Masa's voice was more then enough to get Shikamaru to drop the bluff. There was no way his former friend was serious, was there? He knew that being part of different villages meant that they competed for many of the same jobs, but there was no reason to be so hostile.

"Masa, yeah, I remember you. What happened to you? I mean, it's been nine years since you were forced to leave the village. Is this where you went, to this place?"

"Yes. I'm now a chunin in the Land Hidden in the Sky. I am not quite the same young boy you remember, no, as you can see, I've come far beyond that. I was a little disappointed with your performance in the Sound, Sand, and Leaf village war though."

"W-what?! You were there? You were watching me?" The stunned leaf village ninja could only stand in the tree with his mouth open as his friend smiled at him with the same annoyingly over-kind attitude. Then Masa nodded, slowly, finding complete satisfaction with the look on Shikamaru's face.

"What, you didn't think I'd let you out of my sight that easily, did you? After all, I was in love with you…" The yet-unspoken truth sealed the deal with Shikamaru. This was indeed Masa, his old friend, because no other male alive would openly admit feelings for the young slacker ninja.

"If… if that's true, then why didn't you help me out? Why, when I definitely needed help, were you just standing there?! I could have died!"

"Nope. If they had tried to touch you, they would have died. You honestly seem to have lost some trust in me, Shikamaru." The leaf ninja shook his head in astonishment. So he had been safe this whole time? He chuckled softly to himself, thinking of how lazy he would have been if he had known that for the last several years.

"Well, it's not like we're on the same side anymore. If case you forgot already, you're not a leaf village ninja anymore."

"Quite true," With that Masa instantly closed the gap between them. Wrapping his arm around the somewhat startled Shikamaru's waist, he pulled him further into the trees. The slacked ninja then heard it, the soft thud that meant a throwing weapon had just landed in the trunk of the recently vacated tree. "However, I still won't let anyone hurt you, even my own team. Not that they know it's you, mind you. We've had plenty of ninja from other villages showing up with the same purpose as you: to try and seize our power. Well, let me tell you," Masa smiled at Shikamaru, almost like he used to when they were kids, "it's not going to happen."

Shikamaru shook slightly when he was let down. He was used to others doing stuff for him, certainly, but being completely out of control like this… he wasn't comfortable with it, not one bit. He immediately pushed away, taking up a defensive stance against the still calm Masamune.

"Alright, look, this is getting us no where. I'll just leave, tell Naruto what happened and that you guys wont be disturbed, and then we'll just forget this whole thing ever happened, okay?"

Masa laughed softly, disconcerting Shikamaru even more. It wasn't like he used to laugh, it was cold and cruel.

"No, Shikamaru, this is how it will happen. You'll stay here with me, because," The leaf ninja suddenly found his arms pinned behind him, the image in front slowly fading away as his vision began to blur from lack of oxygen. Masa fininshed the sentence in his ear just before he passed out.

"I never want us to part again, and you will never forget me, ever…"

Ooh, ominous. R&R, and enjoy as often as you'd like.


	4. Chapter 4 Relaxed Torture

Disclaimer: So, yeah, Naruto is cool and all, but most of the characters in this story aren't mine. Only my team, consisting of Masa, Kura, and Hotaru are my own characters, and technically only Masa is mine personally. Kura and Hotaru are my bestest friends, which is why we make a good trio of ninja. So okay, this is the first chapter, which is mostly background story.

WARNING!!: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS Harsh language, and a little nudity, but mostly really harsh language. If you don't like the idea of swearing vehemently, then leave now or forever be disappointed. The M rating is for the violence and language that occurs as a result of this being a universe filled with ninja. If allowed, there will also be yaoi, lemon, and… well, that's all I can put of it here.

Note: This is an OCxShika, ShikaxTamari, and OCHotaruxKiba fic, so the last chapters I probably won't be able to post here. And I go into detail too, so really, if you're not supposed to read it or romance and sex aren't your things, then GO! Sheesh, it's not my fault if you get caught reading this when you aren't supposed to.

---

Shikamaru groaned, his head felt horrible, and there was a definite throbbing in his temples. He opened his eyes a little, but found that it only made his headache worse, so he closed them again. He couldn't remember how he was here, or why his head hurt so much, but he wasn't happy about it. He couldn't move either, his arms and legs shackled in place by something. He struggled a little, futilely, before giving in to whatever fate awaited him.

He heard a door across the room open and close. It was wooden, not metal, so he wasn't in a prison. Then he heard footsteps moving toward him, just barely, since the person walked very quietly. Then he gasped as a weight was placed on his chest, which was incredibly sore, and opened his eyes, forcing himself to adjust to see what was pressing down on him.

There was Masamune, straddling the leaf ninja and smiling. Shikamaru began his futile struggling again, somewhat terrified of the powerful ninja, but gave up when a punch landed with his ribs, signaling for him to stop fighting.

"Shikamaru, you really shouldn't make this so hard for yourself. I mean, if you just stopped struggling, then you wouldn't be in nearly as much pain." The young sky ninja bent down and began to tease Shikamaru's ear with his tongue and teeth. The leaf ninja squirmed and writhed, both enjoying and hating the experience at the same time.

"F-fuck! Get off me! Ah, damnit!" Shikamaru bucked his hips, attempting to throw Masa off, but only served to encourage him, hearing a slight moan escape by his ear. This was really starting to freak him out, but at the same time a small part of him was enjoying it. He would never admit it, but ever since he had taken Tamari as his girlfriend, and they had really started to get busy, she wasn't as fierce as he had imagined. In bed she was tame, annoyingly tame, and the subtle attentions of his old friend were just what he had wanted from his Sand Village lover. He was getting what he wanted, but it wasn't from who he wanted, not exactly.

"Oh my Nara-kun, I didn't know you missed me this much." Masa's words made Shikamaru stop his thrashing to look questioningly at his friend. Masa smiled and leaned back, pulling off his Chunin vest. Shikamaru grew frightened for a second, thinking his friend intended to rape him, when instead he found the vest wrapped around his chest. Then, looking down, he realized why Masa was being so strange: he was completely naked.

He groaned again, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. What was going on!? This wasn't the trip he had imagined, though the feeling in his lower half told him that he was certainly enjoying it. He surely hadn't expected Masa to find him, let alone to kidnap him. He was confused, and his friend sitting on top of his nearly naked body wasn't helping at all.

"Masa, look, can I just get my clothes and go?" Shikamaru tried, hoping to appeal to his friend's sensitive side. He knew Masa was an inner softy, even though he hid it with outward cynicism. But Masa just smiled, flexing and showing off his chest to the pinned and shackled ninja.

"Nara-kun, I know you don't want to leave yet. It's quite apparent what you want me to do." The lewd tone in his voice made Shikamaru shiver. There's no way this is happening, he thought.

"Yes, I do. I don't know what you think I want, but-" He was cut short as Masa's hand found his crotch, gently fondling him. "Ah… s-stop! Please…" his breath was becoming shorter, and it was obvious that despite his protests, he was greatly enjoying himself. Masamune used this to his advantage and stopped, dismounting gracefully from the pinned ninja.

"Fuck you!" Shikamaru cried out, his face bright red.

"I knew you still wanted it. But you don't get it until you beg for it. And by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging for it to never end." There was lust in Masa's words, but also something more, a threat. Shikamaru knew he was in trouble, still tied down and naked, and that he had to escape. Then sheets were gently draped over him, Masa's face appearing just above his own. He was kisses, short but sweet, before Masa turned to leave.

"Hey! You aren't just going to leave me here, are you?" Shikamaru called out to Masa, who stopped. Then he laughed, the same laugh as before, cold and cruel.

"Don't worry, you're being constantly monitored. If you try to escape, you die, it's that simple. My team needs me to go on a mission with them, to your village, actually. I wonder what will happen, I really do." A cruel smile played across Masa's lips, and Shikamaru began to really think about his friend. This wasn't the Masa he remembered. The Masa he had known wasn't cruel or unkind. He gave everything he could for his fellow ninja, even if they were enemies, and yet here he was, threatening and terrible.

"What happened to you?" Shikamaru asked, truly curious about the fate that had befallen his friend.

"What happened?" Masa's laugh rang out loudly, but at the same time it was hollow, almost as if he was in pain, which he was. "You happened, Shikamaru. Nine years ago, you happened, and I can't forgive you just yet."

Shikamaru was just barely able to watch, stunned, as his friend left. What had he done to Masamune to hurt him? He couldn't remember, but he saw one of the ninja guarding him as the door opened and closed. He was wearing the mask of an Anbu Black-Ops, which let him know just how stuck he really was.

He leaned back, adjusting himself to get comfortable. Since he was stuck here, might as well enjoy his time off.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

Hey all, I know I've been updating a lot recently, but my well of inspiration has been overflowing, so this story has just been coming to me in waves. Enjoy, and thanks to those who review!


	5. Chapter 5 Explosion

Disclaimer: So, yeah, Naruto is cool and all, but most of the characters in this story aren't mine. Only my team, consisting of Masa, Kurai (name change, yes), and Hotaru are my own characters, and technically only Masa is mine personally. Kurai and Hotaru are my bestest friends, which is why we make a good trio of ninja. So okay, this is the first chapter, which is mostly background story.

WARNING!!: If you don't like the idea of swearing vehemently, or yaoi, then leave now or forever be disappointed. The M rating is for the violence and language that occurs as a result of this being a universe filled with ninja. If allowed, there will also be yaoi, lemon, and… well, that's all I can put of it here.

Note: This is an OCxShika, ShikaxTamari, and OCHotaruxKiba fic, so the last chapters I probably won't be able to post here. And I go into detail too, so really, if you're not supposed to read it or romance and sex aren't your things, then GO! Sheesh, it's not my fault if you get caught reading this when you aren't supposed to.

---

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE ISN'T BACK?!?!" Temari yelled at the ninja behind the counter. She had been waiting for Shikamaru to return for five days now, and her patience had been gone after the first few hours.

"Shit… Temari, calm down. You should know by now that Shikamaru likes to take his time. He'll be back once he's done with his mission." Kiba hated explaining these kinds of things, especially to the girlfriends of ninja. Temari was especially irrational when it came to Shikamaru, though everyone knew that he was the slowest and laziest ninja of the entire rebuilt village.

"Tell me where he is, NOW!" Temari nearly screamed the last word. She always worried, and even though she knew he wouldn't be back, it frustrated her that he seemed to be taking a particularly long time this time. Kiba looked down at his documents, and when he didn't look up, she decided to get his attention again.

A large fan smashed into his desk, and Kiba jumped back. Akamaru was immediately at his side, barking at the crazed kunoichi who had destroyed the leaf ninja's desk. She had overreacted, he knew, but he was still terrified of her. Shikamaru was one of the only people who could control her, and he had just received a report, on of the reasons he hadn't look up.

The same report that was now floating in front of Temari's face.

She snatched it and read, and Kiba blushed and looked away. This was not going to end well. He grabbed Akamaru, who was now silent with worry, and ran, leaping from the building. He was the last on duty, and after all, the report had also been a mission.

Better get started on it before she does, he thought grimly.

Temari's eyes scanned the report again. That couldn't be, Shikamaru captured? How? By who? Rage induced tears began to flow down her face, but she could hardly feel them. This wasn't fair. She wanted him back, and someone had kidnapped him. And the note was rigged, already burning away. She had no idea where he was, and it made her feel almost as bad as watching Gaara transform. This isn't fair, she thought, it's just not fair!

Her rage finally got the best of her.

She hardly knew what she was doing. Her fan was open, and there was wind around her, but there was only one word, repeating itself over and over in her mind.

Shikamaru, Shikamaru…

Shikamaru stretched out in the small clearing behind the house. He had been bound for a few days now, and it felt good to finally have his clothes back, and to be unshackled. Thoughts of escape had quickly passed in and out of his head. There was no way he'd escape. Masamune had made that more then clear over the last week. Of course, he had to admit that there had been a certain enjoyment to his friends threats mixed with sensual teasing. Okay, a lot of enjoyment…

He tore his thoughts away from that. Masa was watching him from the doorway of his house, and always seemed to know what he was thinking. Shikamaru had been introduced to Masa's teammates, Kurai and Hotaru, earlier in the week. Kurai was dark and silent, and when he talked, it sent shivers down the leaf ninja's spine. Hotaru was more vocal and cynical, and compared to the two of them, Masa was an angel of kindness and generosity. But he could feel his friend's inner darkness, the brightness in him that he had known as a child somehow darkened. He knew his freedom would be brief, that same darkness calling for Shikamaru to be bound and tormented sexually for as long as Masa wanted.

"Hotaru," Kurai's dark voice said, his lips barely moving. The two ninja made eye contact, then Kurai looked to Masa. Masamune nodded, then both Kurai and Hotaru leapt into the trees faster then Shikamaru's eyes could follow.

"What is it?" Masa had said nothing about Shikamaru asking questions, and had been fairly reasonable when answering them as well.

"It seems that two leaf ninja are coming to your rescue. And one is your _sweet_ Temari." Masa seemed to draw out the word sweet, making it sound venomous. Shikamaru was taken aback by the sheer loathing tone of his voice. What was with Masa now?

"Get back inside. My friends will handle them."

"No!" Shikamaru panicked. He didn't want Temari getting hurt. "Just drive them away, please, don't kill them!"

"No Shikamaru, you are the one exception. Maybe the other will live, but Temari is a sand village ninja, one of our sworn enemies. She will not live much past the borders of the village, of that you can be sure." Shikamaru felt cold and drained, and the blood drained from his face. She was going to die, and it would be all his fault.

"I said get inside, or do you want to be able to hear her screaming?"

Shikamaru moved, though more robotically then before. His mind was a bit numb from the thought of losing Temari. Sudden irrationality took over, and he charged Masa, trying to tackle him to the ground. Instead he found his face pressed into the dirt, his former friend twisting his arm behind his back and sitting on top of him. Shikamaru felt the sheer closeness of the other male, and knew that for whatever reason they were suddenly both getting aroused.

"This time… You will be mine Shikamaru. I can't lose you again. She will die because nine years ago, you hurt me so much that I wanted to die. I don't like causing you pain, I really don't," Masa's voice was changing, becoming kinder, as if the darkness were leaving his heart, "But if it's the only way to show you how much I need you, the only way to keep you, then I have to do it."

Shikamaru felt a mix of emotion. He wasn't sure whether to be appalled by his words of happy that his old friend was showing, at least a little, of his true self. Then he was being lifted up, carried like a child against his friend's rock hard chest.

"I will show you that I love you Shikamaru."

And… suspence!! BWAHAHAHA!!

Thanks for the reviews, for the one person that reviewed for every chapter, and for the one person that reviewed the first chapter. I really appreciate your views, and that someone appreciates my work.

Enjoy. The next chapters should be coming soon too.


	6. Chapter 6 Rescue, Or No?

Disclaimer: So, yeah, Naruto is cool and all, but most of the characters in this story aren't mine. Only my team, consisting of Masa, Kurai (name change, yes), and Hotaru are my own characters, and technically only Masa is mine personally. Kurai and Hotaru are my bestest friends, which is why we make a good trio of ninja. So okay, this is the first chapter, which is mostly background story.

WARNING!!: If you don't like the idea of violence, or yaoi, then why are you even here? The M rating is for the violence and language that occurs as a result of this being a universe filled with ninja. That, and I'm a pervert, so nyah!

Note: This is an OCxShika, ShikaxTamari, and OCHotaruxKiba fic, so the last chapters I probably won't be able to post here. And I go into detail too, so really, if you're not supposed to read it or romance and sex aren't your things, then GO! Sheesh, it's not my fault if you get caught reading this when you aren't supposed to.

---

Temari leapt from tree to tree. It didn't matter how far she had to run, or how tired she was. Only one thing mattered to her at all, one person, and she would kill anyone or anything that tried to stop her.

Shikamaru, Shikamaru…

The images of the last year or so flashed through her head. He had been losing interest, though slowly, for a while. Who was to say he had just run away from her? The thoughts hurt, but she forced herself to face the pain. The more she endured, the stronger she would become. She had to be strong, she knew, in order to get him back.

Kiba followed her, keeping a good distance back. Akamaru sat on his shoulder, a comforting weight in the face of Temari's feminine wrath. He wasn't surprised that she had no clue he was there, since she wasn't really paying attention to the world around her. He had pointed her in the direction to go, and then followed a short distance after. If Shino and Hinata hadn't been busy already, he would have brought them along, but considering how reckless Temari was already, she would need him to watch her back.

And he knew that they had no time to waste.

The sand village kunoichi plowed through the trees, heedlessly smashing branches and tree trunks out of her path. She could care less how much noise she made. Some small inner voice told her to calm down when red began to creep around the edges of her vision, but it wasn't strong enough to deter her. She needed this, she had been too pent up the last four years, and now she finally had release.

"Shikamaru, Shikamaru… I'm coming, Shikamaru!" Temari charged through more trees, her speed increasing.

Kiba grunted, trying to keep up. How had she gotten so damn fast? He was losing her only by sight, his sense of smell keeping her within his range. Still, he was beginning to panic, and Akamaru licked his cheek to try and comfort him.

"Hey little buddy, thanks. I think I needed you here more then I thought," Kiba smiled to his canine companion. Akamaru would always be his friend, even if he was a bit of an outcast among the leaf ninja.

Then he smelled and heard something, a sound just to his right, and stopped. Every sense in his body told him the same thing: they were not alone anymore…

Shikamaru groaned and tried to turn over, to find he couldn't. He was pinned still, but he wasn't shackled to the bed at least. Something powerful was wrapped around his chest and arms, and his legs were wrapped up too. His mind slowly returned to the present, and he instantly knew what was wrapped around his body.

It was Masa, his strong arms holding the leaf ninja tight against his body. And they were both naked, that he knew.

How had he gotten here though? His mind was hazy, a pleasurable fuzziness that made it very hard for him to think. He felt sore all over, as if he had been pummeled by a few hundred people, but he also felt warm and comfortable, and happy too.

Happy? In this hell hole? How was that possible?

Masa stirred behind him, and he froze. What would Masa do now? Would he let him go? But go to what? Shikamaru remembered now what Masa had said about Temari. By this time she'd be dead now, so what else was there for him to go home for?

Shikamaru shook his head. This was too confusing, and his brain was still locked in its fuzzy warmness, which was starting to disturb him. Then he felt something warm and wet press against his neck, sending shivers up and down his spine. Masa kissed him again, and Shikamaru panicked in the back of his mind as he instinctively pressed back against his friend. Was this what he had wanted all along?

"Mmmm… how are you feeling this morning, Nara-kun?" Shikamaru sighed in relief. Masa had called him by Nara-kun, instead of his full name. He knew his friend was back to his old self, his kind, sweet self, the one that he had…

Shikamaru stopped his thoughts instantly. There was no way, not even just in his head, that he would finish that sentence, though he knew what the last part was.

"Fine." Shikamaru said, his voice its normal whining tone. He was getting annoyed with all the game playing, the rough teasing, and he honestly just wanted things the way they were. Too much had changed, and he wasn't one for a lot of change in a short time.

"Just fine, Nara-kun? Honestly, I thought you'd be feeling as wonderful as I do, after what we just did…" Masa turned him around and kissed his lips. The kiss brought him back to their first kiss, under his favorite tree, and Shikamaru almost wanted to cry. That or throw up.

Then he felt it, wetness in between his legs, just under his tailbone. That was where his pain was centered, a throbbing ache that both hurt and felt good at the same time. He growled, getting sick of all this weird stuff happening, but it seemed Masa misinterpreted this noise as something else.

"Ah, I knew you liked it. That's good, because I missed you. I told you I loved you, didn't I? And for what it's worth, I think you love me too." Shikamaru froze. How could Masa be in his head so much? It wasn't fair, he wanted out, at least part of him did, and he was getting bored and sore just laying there in the strong ninja's embrace.

"So, what now?" Shikamaru asked, sounding as irritated as he felt.

Another thrilling installment, I hope. And yes, I did, because I'm a dirty dirty pervert. So nyah, again!


	7. Chapter 7 Denied

Disclaimer: So, yeah, Naruto is cool and all, but most of the characters in this story aren't mine. Only my team, consisting of Masa, Kurai (name change, yes), and Hotaru are my own characters, and technically only Masa is mine personally. Kurai and Hotaru are my bestest friends, which is why we make a good trio of ninja. So okay, this is the first chapter, which is mostly background story.

WARNING!!: If you don't like the idea of violence, or yaoi, then why are you even here? The M rating is for the violence and language that occurs as a result of this being a universe filled with ninja. That, and I'm a pervert, so nyah!

Note: This is an OCxShika, ShikaxTamari, and OCHotaruxKiba fic, so the last chapters I probably won't be able to post here. And I go into detail too, so really, if you're not supposed to read it or romance and sex aren't your things, then GO! Sheesh, it's not my fault if you get caught reading this when you aren't supposed to.

Tamari stopped dead in her tracks, panting softly. She had just been running for hours, hopping from tree to tree, even flying on her fan for a while. She knew she must have been getting close to Shikamaru, she just had to be, but she hadn't found him yet. It was just dense forest, tree after tree, everything in her way.

She crouched, about to leap again to the next tree when a shadowy figure appeared where she wanted to land. She had no patience for anyone or anything, so she threw a kunai at it quickly, hoping to kill whatever it was and be done with it. But as her kunai hit the dark figure, it simply went through, hitting the tree behind. She was getting more and more furious, and though she figured it wouldn't help, she had to vent something and decided to yell at it.

"Hey, dipshit, get the fuck out of my way!" She jumped to the left, but the shadow followed her. No matter how she moved, it stayed in front of her. She threw various weapons at it, saving her energy as much as she could and refraining from using her fan. She knew she was getting nowhere, and pulled her fan from her back.

"You aren't going to make this easy, are you?" She smirked, her confidence overriding her distress. She quickly spread her fan, swinging it full on at her shadowy follower. Her wind attack ripped through her enemy, and her eyes twinkled a little with her victory. Then her triumph was cut short as a hand wrapped around her mouth from behind. An arm quickly pinned down her arms, preventing her from using any jutsus at all. She managed to turn her head, getting a small look at her assailant.

The ninja, Kurai, had an expressionless face. His arms, while not muscle-bound, were painfully strong, trapping her small body against his. He didn't even look at her as she began to struggle, fearing for her life. His voice was quiet yet commanding as he spoke.

"You are not allowed past this point," he said, his lips hardly moving, "By order of the Kages of the Astral Village, you are prohibited from entering into our territory. Leave at once, or you forfeit your life." His tone left no question as to what he meant, and Tamari froze, her heart racing. Her mind raced as well, thinking things through as despair slowly began to crush her heart.

If this was where Shikamaru was, then was he killed too?

---

Kiba turned on the sound, baring his teeth and growling menacingly. Tamari was completely driven from his mind, his ninja instincts putting every sense on edge to figure out who had been stupid enough to make a noise.

Then he saw her, her white hair pouring over her shoulders like a waterfall. His breath caught, and even Akamaru looked stunned. Next to him stood the most beautiful kunoichi he had ever seen.

Hotaru smiled, her face lowered to hide it. She enjoyed using her looks to stun ninja as she had just done to the unsuspecting Kiba. She studied her targets before confronting them, and so already knew everything there was to know about the dog ninja. Hotaru had even gone so far as to put female dog scent in her hair, not something she found pleasant, but it was effective in neutralizing her normal scent.

Kiba began panting, he couldn't help it. Half his senses were telling him she was an enemy, someone to be feared and fought, but the other half was too distracted by her beauty to allow him any action. When she jumped into the same tree as him, he nearly fell off his branch, Akamaru whining on his back as he fell onto his ass. He stared at her as she continued to walk to him, his breath short with panic, embarrassment, and astonishment.

"Hello there, Kiba!" She smiled, and what was left of his resolve melted away, "I was hoping you would come this way soon. I've been waiting for you for a long time now." Her voice was like music, and she reached a hand to him, his defenses down completely. He didn't notice the genjutsu she was using, and was under her spell in a heartbeat. Akamaru, however, was not so easily fooled. As her hand neared his throat, the small dog barked, leaping out and biting her hand.

"Aahh!" Hotaru cried and fell back, feigning pain as the dogs teeth only sunk into the padding she wore on her hands. The trick worked though, and Kiba instantly reacted in her defense.

"Akamaru! What are you doing?!" The dog looked back at his master, whimpering in confusion. Akamaru barked, trying to talk Kiba out of the genjutsu, but he was too far under her control to listen. "Get away from her!" Kiba picked the confused Akamaru up by his neck and tossed him away. Akamaru, his pride wounded, landed on a branch, keeping a close eye on his master.

"Are you alright?" Kiba asked, offering a hand to Hotaru, whose long white hair hid her vicious smile.

"Oh, I'm alright, don't worry about me," She stood, giving a small cry and falling forward, onto the dog ninja's chest. He instinctively grabbed and held her, blushing madly and stuttering through his words as he tried to think of something to say.

"Mmm, don't worry about me," Hotaru smiled up at Kiba just before her hand wrapped around his throat. He gasped, choking as her strong grip began crushing his windpipe. He found his back pressed to the tree trunk, and as hard as he struggled he couldn't break free. Akamaru barked loudly, jumping into action as soon as it looked like Kiba was in trouble again. This time her hand was faster, grabbing the dog before he reached her and slamming him into the trunk as well. Kiba broke from the genjutsu after that, but was still unable to break from her hold to save his dog.

"Don't worry about me… worry about yourselves!" Hotaru smiled pleasantly at the ninja and dog she was choking slowly into unconsciousness.

---

Shikamaru shuddered, curling into a tighter ball on the bed. His mind was swirling with sickening images, each one getting worse, but he had already thrown up everything in his stomach. He wanted to cry, but when he had Masa had attempted to comfort him, which only made things worse. As far as the shadow ninja knew, Tamari was dead, and Shikamaru had been semi-raped by Masa. He wanted to just call it rape, but he knew that though he didn't want it right now, part of him had wanted it while they were together. He knew his reactions had hurt Masa, which part of him enjoyed, but as he was growing to know Masa more, he knew he liked the ninja as well.

Masa showed up almost on queue, once more almost knowing Shikamaru's thoughts. He wrapped his arms around the shadow ninja, kissing his neck and rubbing his chest comfortingly.

"Look, I… I'm sorry. I don't think I've been acting like myself lately." Shikamaru looked up at the ninja, confused as much as we was satisfied at hearing an apology. He turned around, seeing that Masa wasn't looking at him. "I think that I was so in love with you, that I forgot who I was for a while, my only thoughts being of how much I wanted to be with you. That pain, that misery… it overrode my senses. I think, I… I don't deserve you, Shikamaru." The pain in Masa's voice was almost palpable, and while Shikamaru was glad that perhaps Masa was giving up on him, part of him was hurt as well. Things had gotten so mixed up inside the young shadow ninja, and he was unsure as to whether this would clear things up or make them worse.

"Okay," was Shikamaru's only response before he turned back, curling up again. Masa sighed softly and stood up.

"She… isn't dead, not yet. I'll do what I can to save her, and the ninja that followed her. Think of it as my real apology." Shikamaru was glad he was facing away from Masa as his eyes snapped open wide. According to Masa, then, Tamari was alive, and that at least helped Shikamaru's head to clear some. If Masa hadn't already left, he might have hugged his captor for the joy he felt.

_Tamari is alive!_ This thought brought Shikamaru to an almost giddy state, and he curled up harder, though it was to hide his overwhelming joy.


	8. Chapter 8 Release

Disclaimer: So, yeah, Naruto is cool and all, but most of the characters in this story aren't mine. Only my team, consisting of Masa, Kurai (name change, yes), and Hotaru are my own characters, and technically only Masa is mine personally. Kurai and Hotaru are my bestest friends, which is why we make a good trio of ninja. So okay, this is the first chapter, which is mostly background story.

WARNING!!: If you don't like the idea of violence, or yaoi, then why are you even here? The M rating is for the violence and language that occurs as a result of this being a universe filled with ninja. That, and I'm a pervert, so nyah!

Note: This is an OCxShika, ShikaxTemari, and OCHotaruxKiba fic, so the last chapters I probably won't be able to post here. And I go into detail too, so really, if you're not supposed to read it or romance and sex aren't your things, then GO! Sheesh, it's not my fault if you get caught reading this when you aren't supposed to.

---

Masa leapt from tree to tree, knowing he had to move fast. Sometimes he thought of clearing the area around the village, the trees a slowing factor on the way out, and an access to the village that was harder to monitor. He shook his head, returning his focus back to the task at hand.

Hotaru and Kurai had caught two ninja, and he was sure Temari was one of them. He was a little concerned about the other ninja, because he would only have been the girl's escort here. Running through the trees as fast as he could and leaping far, he caught up to Kurai first. Almost instantly he recognized the girl as Temari, though he'd never seen her. He just knew, everything about her told him she was here for Shikamaru.

"Kurai! Wait!" Masa leapt onto the branch the two were on, his eyes assessing his friend's determination. If Kurai was set to kill her, there may not be anything Masa could do about it. "Don't kill her. Just let her go."

"Whatever," Kurai said, dropping Temari without a second thought. She coughed, catching her breath shakily. Kurai left without another word, and Masa let him, his main concern the girl of Shikamaru's interest.

He didn't find her very attractive. Maybe it was because he wanted Shikamaru for himself, but he just couldn't see in her what the shadow ninja did. She seemed too skinny, and at the same time too masculine, to be of any real importance on a team. He knew Shikamaru was interested in brains as well as looks, and she didn't seem to have either. Maybe her jutsus are good, Masa thought.

"I'm sorry for the crude introduction." Masa smiled, putting on his best face for her. She looked at him, still frightened for her life. He knew he had to calm her down before she did anything rash. "He isn't normally that rough. It's just been a stressful week, so we're a little stretched out."

"What the hell!" Temari screamed, getting to her feet, "I come here looking for someone and get attacked by a member of a village I've never even heard of? What's going on here?!"

"If you calm down, I can explain. And if you let me explain, then your mission can be made a lot easier." Masa stared her down, looking directly into her eyes with his piercing gaze before she looked away, silently agreeing to listen.

"We have Shikamaru. You were right to come here, though by now I'm sure our policy towards strangers is very clear to you. Anyone bearing a symbol from any ninja village other then our own is apprehended and, if found to have malicious intent, executed. You were lucky Kurai left you alive. Your attack on him would have been viewed as hostile if you had hit, and he would have killed you in an instant."

Temari swallowed, knowing Masamune's words to be true. Whoever these people were, they had already proven the better ninja, ready to kill at a moment's notice.

"T-Tell me where Shikamaru is. Please!" She hadn't meant to add the please, but she was having trouble thinking her way through with the threat of death hanging over her head like a dark cloud.

Masamune smiled and shook his head, knowing that she was panicking. He moved to her slowly, feeling her tense up through the branch. Reaching her, he smiled, disarming her resolve for a second, before gripping her in a tight hug. She was started, her eyes wide, not understanding how an enemy could let down his guard so much and trust her not to take advantage. But as he held on, her desire to hurt him slowly melted away, and soon she was hugging back, sobbing her pain over losing the man she loved onto his shoulder.

He nodded, then in an instant he was gone. She continued to cry, falling forward a little on the branch, released from her emotional restraints unwillingly.

---

Kiba and Akamaru struggled harder, giving it their all to break free of Hotaru's grip. The kunoichi was just too strong, and Kiba found himself slipping painfully into unconsciousness. Akamaru had stopped barking, so he could only assume he was out cold already. As the beautiful face in front of him faded, he felt soft, warm lips press to his.

Then he was asleep for a long time.

When he started to wake up, he could hear voices. They seemed distant, as if coming from another room. He cracked open an eye and immediately regretted it, his head throbbing from the light pouring in through his one open eye. He moved his arms and legs slowly, feeling around without making any noise. He found that his hands and feet were bound, something easily remedied with an escape jutsu, and his dog was curled up on his chest, unbound other then a muzzle. Then the voices got closer and louder, and he closed his eyes, trying to seem like he was still asleep. He felt someone stand over him, then there was a breath and voice in his ear.

"Wake up, dog." Hotaru's voice pulled him painfully into wakefulness, and he opened his eyes, looking at her with groggy anger.

"What?" His voice was hoarse, his throat still sore from the crushing grip the woman had knocked him out with earlier.

"Just checking that you were alive," She smiled, and Kiba found himself blushing, "And just talking with my friend about what to do with you."

"Your friend?" Kiba tried to look past her unsuccessfully, her hair veiling whoever was behind her. Giving up, he lay his head down, closing his eyes again.

"Oh, don't mind him. He just wants to know what I want to do."

"Did you decide anything?"

"No, not much. We may use you as a bargaining tool to form an alliance with your village, but I'd much rather keep you as my pet."

"Your WHAT?!" Kiba's eyes snapped open, and she smiled down at him, giggling softly. Her hair fell unbound around her shoulders, her face shrouded in what looked like white silk. Her face was next to his, her eyes large, staring into his, her crimson lips bright in contrast with her white hair. Her outfit was low cut and form fitting, function meshed with fashion to create a stunning woman, who was now sitting on the ninja.

"My pet, silly dog. You're quite cute, and since my last pet escaped, I've been looking for a replacement. It'd be a lot easier if you cooperated too." Hotaru shifted positions again, laying on the bound ninja, her ample breasts pressed against his body, her head next to his heart. Her eyes fluttered, half-closed, her long eyelashes fanning out, and she listened to his heart, which was now racing in his chest.

Kiba couldn't deny his attraction to this woman. She was a good choice for a female companion. She curved just the way he liked too, and was strong enough that when and if she had children, he could still go on missions while she stayed home and defended their den. His hand twitched thinking about it, wanting to reach up and hold her, but when she saw and felt it she moved up, smiling down at him through her white hair.

"Hmm, I guess that's a yes?" She laughed, and the sweetness was draining, slowly, from her voice, the laugh having a malicious ring to it for reasons yet unknown to Kiba. He heard footsteps and looked around, hoping her companion would show himself at last.

He did, and Masamune blushed slightly at what he saw. Kiba was cute, and he could see why Hotaru would want to keep him. But the strength of the budding village was still infantile compared to the leaf village, and if a conflict brewed over the prisoner, there was a chance they would be destroyed.

"It's still risky, you know that. Though I see why you like him, it's a danger to hold anyone from another village, unless they agree to stay here. We're still too weak, you know that Hotaru." Masamune was calm but firm, his voice not leaving much room for argument. She wasn't ready to give up without any fight, though.

"Awww, please?! I really want to keep him!" She pouted, her eyes seeming to get even bigger, shimmering with fake tears. Her lower lip quivered, and the act nearly made Masa laugh, though it had a different effect on Kiba.

"Don't cry!" Kiba shouted, before he could stop himself. The idea of Hotaru crying was ridiculous to Masa, because he knew that she never cried in front of anyone, if at all, and she would only ever cry just to get her way. Kiba didn't know that, and so seeing her in distress was making him go crazy.

With Kiba's shout, her face immediately switched, her face becoming bright, her eyes and voice excited as she gasped with surprise.

"You'll stay?!" She seemed so happy, Kiba wasn't sure what to say. He knew he'd be risking outright expulsion from his village, let alone what his pack would think, but he found her too attractive to just leave. He bit his lip, thinking, and looked away, keeping her in his side vision to watch her reactions. Akamaru yawned on his chest, and he became aware of the dog for the first time in a little while. He wasn't sure how he would react either.

"I… I need to think about it. Is that okay?" He blushed, finding it silly to ask if he could think, but he wasn't sure what else to do.

"Sure!" Hotaru said, though Masa looked ready to argue. She shot him a look that would have made any lesser man cringe, though it did make him wince as if slapped. She bounced away, blowing a kiss from the doorway back to a heavily blushing Kiba, Masa following her, shaking his head with disbelief.

As he settled back down, Kiba wondered what he'd just gotten himself in to.

---

Shikamaru got dressed quickly. His clothes had been washed, dried, and folded for him, set on a chair next to the bed, and he was left alone to change. The marks from his restraints were fading on his wrists and ankles, and even while he was more then happy to leave, something else in him wanted to stay. That something else made him sit on the bed, thinking, until Masamune came back.

"Your friends are fine, though your company may be… limited." Shikamaru didn't understand the statement, but Masa looked too ragged to be asked to explain. He sat next to Shikamaru, resting his head on the shadow ninja's shoulder. He closed his eyes, and Shikamaru blushed, wondering what to do.

"You'll find her in a tree to the northwest, if you're ready to leave. Though," Masa paused, and Shikamaru was surprised, not having seen his captor hesitate about anything before, "you can stay, if you'd like. Both of you. I wouldn't mind, if you did…"

It was an offer that the part of Shikamaru that wanted to stay wanted him to accept. But the part that longed for Temari knew that he had to go, now, before things got worse. If she was crying, then he had to comfort her, which meant he had to leave.

"I'm sorry," was all he could think to say as he stood, leaving without looking back. At the door, Masa stopped him, holding him from behind, his voice light and playful in his ear.

"This isn't over. Even if it takes a while, I will win you from her. Someday." Then he was released, and he began to run, unsure about what his future would hold now.


End file.
